Ok, we are out, what now?

Putin?

Meanwhile, the great and good grab a bite to eat...

www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/03/farage-murdoch-lebedev-and-fox-break-bread-as-told-by-lily-allen

I wonder what they were talking about.

Yup! dd & thanks. Bracing myself for another week of defending my views and sticking up for my friends from EU countries - I'm getting too old for all this!

Not yet (on holiday at the moment).

Tegan, you are one of many. Over 10,000 new members since the referendum.

That's the article I read last night. I disgree about the LibDems, they reined in the Conservatives so much during the coalition....we're only just realising what they're capable of doing with no one to put the brakes on. That's why the S.O. voted for them last time. As ever they have been a voice of reason throughout the referendum campaign. I don't think I've ever held them in higher regard than I do now.

As a former EU Commission trade negotiatior, Nick Clegg could find himself very much in demand.

Meanwhile, he's keeping himself busy, writing for the Guardian. This is his argument for an election before invoking Article 50..

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/03/britain-general-election-before-article-50

Pity Nick Clegg destroyed the Lib Dems as they might have been a credible party to vote for.

Moan away, outofstep. Some people on here will moan at you for moaning, but ignore them.

Try as I might, I can't dissuade myself that the UK is about to become a more mean-spirited, inward-looking place. I'm naturally pragmatic, so look for solutions, and have had so much experience of picking myself up that I'm getting quite good at it, but I'm feeling my optimism ebbing away.

I'm a keen amateur social historian and have often wondered how people felt before something catastrophic happened. We have the benefit of hindsight, but people couldn't foresee the future before something happened . People before WW1 didn't know what was in the future and certainly didn't know that the break-up of the great empires, especially the Ottoman Empire, would have been the cause of the troubles we still have in the Middle East. The people who penned the Treaty of Versailles couldn't have known that it would cause such resentment and be one of the reasons Germans voted for Hitler and we all know what that caused.

I have such a horrible feeling that we are at the start of something catastrophic. I understand the anger people feel about their lives and why they blamed the EU, but I wish they'd thought through the consequences of leaving. It was entirely the wrong way to register protest.

PS. Well done for 'escaping' Farage, but commiserations for ending up with Farage-lite.

Durhamjen. Could have been worse, we almost had a UKIP M.P. Farage stood & thankfully failed, as it is, we got an ex- UKIP Brexiteer! You might guess from my username that I take a grim satisfaction in being contrary. I take an even grimmer satisfaction from the fact that the council have cocked up everything they touched, half have resigned and several are being investigated for various misdemeanours. Saying "told you so " is undignified & doesn't help. We have a very large population of Eastern Europeans, they are being subjected to racial abuse on a daily basis, I despair for them, but feel powerless to do anything to help. Would like be to move, but this is a cheap area - deprived you see, so can't afford it! I feel better for a good old moan!

Thank you, Tegan for this link -if only everyone would read this article

Read an article by Nick Clegg about the legalities of the referendum and somehow felt better than I've felt all week.

There is not chaos in every party. The LibDems are united in our sadness but still determined to keep working for a better furure

Thank you, Outofstep. Good to be appreciated. There are more of us on here who think like you.
I think if I lived in a Ukip area, I'd have to move. One of the North East MEPs is Ukip, but I say that's for the Northumberland area, not Durham. All Durham MPs are Labour. The problem is that Ukip are going to target the North East.
My MP is one who is giving up as she has had death threats. Nobody should have to put up with that.

No astute insights or perceptions, or even reminiscences about melamine but Just to say that daphnedill & durhamjen, you give me hope that there are still people of my persuasion in the world. Even more depressed than I was last week. My Polish friends suffering abuse, chaos in every political party & Gove slithering on Andrew Marr show this morning. I live in a fiercely UKIP area (UKIP council) and a load of at best xenophobic & at worst racist neighbours - "voice crying in the wilderness" comes to mind, so thanks dd & dj for restoring my faith in the human race!

Thread title is from Finding Nemo isn't it? Fish escaped from dental surgery but in plastic bags!
Elrel 'Finding Dory' will be coming soon - something to look forward to at last

daphnedill that melamine set looks very classy! I still have some Hornsea, is it worth anything?

Ah well Jalima that's why I specified I wanted to have lots of money if I was back in the 20s!
Badenkate even 'those downstairs' were happy and well nourished in Downton!! And could afford a little house when they retired.

Sorry, back to 'what now'

I can just about discuss the weather in German

I love that, daphne, the youth of Great Britain are more clever than their bizarre political elite.
I really agree with that. Shame they didn't vote in greater numbers. That wasn't very clever, was it?

My son is keen to work in Germany. He has schoolboy German, but he's a good linguist and I don't think it would take much to improve it.

Interesting!

I read an article recently that Berlin is keen to set itself up as an IT hotspot, possibly attracting young people from London, Cambridge (and Estonia). Berlin has a very 'young' image, soit might work.

I didn't realise that German citizenship was just for EU citizens. I got it before we were in the EU. We can have dual citizen ship because the UK allows it. However you have to be able to speak German (quite well) understand the Constitution - equal rights, freedom of speech,monogamy etc and agree to it (which is sometimes difficult for Muslims) understand the rules under which we are governed.
(Tested by multiple choice test)

As to Sigmar Gabriel I don't know what he is after because the most difficulty people have, is with their home country some of which expect their people to give up nationaity when taking another.When you consider that it will be 2 years until the UK has finished talks and left, then that is enough time for most Uk people to get dual nationality.

What he said was not correct as Turkish workers are allowed dual nationality and Americans as well until they are 25.
there was a long fight with Turkish authorities as anyone giving up Turkish nationality gave up the right to inherit anything from their families. This has now changed.

Most people don't have a German passport as when you become German you get an identity card. This ID card means you are are registered where you live and you have to show it whenever asked to by the police. You have to show your ID card when you go to hospital or open a bank account, or collect a parcel, or a car which has been repaired, consult a lawyer etc. I believe you need it to prove you are 18 going to an allnight disco

You only need a passport to travel to another continent or to the eastern block.
I don't have one I have an ID card and in America and the UK I use my British passport.

Germany is seriously considering offering Britons dual citizenship. I've just been on the phone to my daughter, who says that she'll go for it if they bring it in.

^Senior German politicians have suggested offering dual citizenship to young Britons in a bid to keep the UK in touch with the EU.

Sigmar Gabriel, the German vice chancellor, said he would raise the issue of dual citizenship, which is generally forbidden in Germany for non-EU citizens, in the country’s national elections next year.

“Let’s offer it to the young Britons living in Germany, Italy or France so that they can remain EU citizens,” Gabriel said at a meeting in Berlin of his centre-left Social Democratic party.

“It’s a good sign that the youth of Great Britain are more clever than their bizarre political elite,” Gabriel continued. “For that reason we can’t raise our drawbridge on them. We have to think now about what we can offer Great Britain’s younger generation.”

The opposition Green party has also called for Germany to make it easy for Britons living in Germany to get a German passport.^

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/03/german-politicians-propose-offering-young-britons-dual-citizenship

It's shame it's only the young ones, because I'd apply.

Daphne - that's the one, ours was yellow too. My granny liked her own cup so we got a blue cup saucer and tea plate for her. Years later after granny died my mother insisted upon putting the blue melamine set in the dustbin. I wondered whether it was vaguely connected with burning a gypsy's caravan when they died.

@granjura

I agree with you about Cameron and Osborne. They're beginning to look like pussy cats. I wonder if it's all been a plot all along to salvage their reputation in the history books.

lol @dj

I did that when I was seriously hard up. I didn't find any melamine, but I found some 1970s Hornsea Bronte and made a few pounds. I've also got loads of stainless steel tableware from when my mother downsized. Must do a boot sale soon and see if it's become 'retro' yet.

Ours was like this.